The City of Fort Worth has opted to upgrade its system of Flock cameras throughout the city, adding sensors purportedly capable of detecting gunshots.
Cities across North Texas have adopted several new measures, including new security cameras to protect their residents. The Prosper Police Department adopted its own system of Flock license plate reading cameras, placing 48 cameras around the city earlier this year in June, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Fort Worth City Council opted to upgrade its system of Flock cameras using the same company’s Raven Audio Detection System during a meeting. These new devices will cost taxpayers $70,000 annually for the first two years due to existing credit with the company, and afterward, it will cost $175,000 annually, according to official documents.
The Raven Audio Detection System can detect gunshots with 90% accuracy and determine their source within less than 90 feet, according to Flock’s website. The company also claims that these devices can cover up to a quarter mile and can locate victims of a shooting and “preserve evidence” before 911 can be notified, giving alerts to first responders in less than a minute.
Jason Spencer with the Fort Worth Police Department told NBC 5 DFW that the devices may even catch suspects in the act or fleeing a crime scene. Officials hope that the system will lead to more arrests.
Some, however, have concerns that the new system may violate privacy and equity for areas populated by minorities.
“I think that in a neighborhood, just a residential neighborhood, it would seem more intrusive than in a business establishment,” said Jackee Cox, a civil rights attorney, according to NBC 5.
Spencer, however, clarified that these devices would only be keyed into the frequency of a gunshot. Moreover, these devices would be placed in areas based on where the most gun violence is committed.
Areas where these devices might be placed include Cobb Park, Historic Northside, the Rosemont area, Stop Six, and the Las Vegas Trail area.
“They’re going to hear a gunshot and distinguish it from a car backfiring or other types of sounds,” said Spencer, per NBC 5. “So it’s not listening to someone’s conversation, not listening in a live feed into people standing on the corner waiting for the bus.”
City Council member Chris Nettles of District 8 plans to request a report on these devices after six months of use.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, the local police department has struggled to control crime amid a serious staffing shortage. The Dallas Police Department currently has only around 3,000 officers on the street. A City analysis advises a jurisdiction the size of Dallas should have about 4,000.
Consequently, Downtown Dallas has been bearing the brunt of the shortage, logging considerably more criminal activity than Fort Worth’s city center. The latter is patrolled by a dedicated police unit and private security guards.
